The Emperor's Knight
by AwakenDreams
Summary: AU: A young Katara enlists herself into the Fire Knights Academy. Away from her home she slowly finds herself, and just what she is capable of.  At the same time she must save a kingdom and possible the world. Full plot inside.


I wanted to write an AU story, while I'm not sure if it is the best this will be my best shot at it.

Rated: PG-13

Plot: A young Katara enlists herself into the Fire Knights Academy. Away from her home she slowly finds herself, and just what she is capable of. At the same time she must save a kingdom and possible the world. It is a little too bad the one person she has come to hate, she is forced to work with, the and only Royal Prince Zuko.

Pairing: Katara x Zuko

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The Emperor's Knight

**Chapter one**

_The beginning of an acquaintance whether with persons or things is to get a definite outline of our ignorance_

_George Eliot_

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The world was made up of three kingdoms, the United Earth Kingdom, The tribal nation of the Brother North and Sister South, and the Fire Empire. At times hostilities would rise and often bloody battles would give one of these three kingdoms victory and the others defeat. The land would be soaked with blood, waters would be stained red, and bodies would burn.

Now there is a time of peace after the last Great War in which the Fire Empire earned its victory. The world is slowly changing as many recover from the latest assault. The Sister south and her ice lands were colonized in the name of the Empire, and different ports of the united Earth Kingdom crippled under the flames of war.

This story opens with a young girl, bright eye and eager to make her way through the world. Proud of her Southern Heritage she is enlisted to the Fire Empire's royal army truly oblivious of her destiny.

The year is 253 After Avatar.

"NO!"

"you have no say in this!"

"Yes I do! Dad left me in charge and I'm telling you it is a big burning hell no!"

Two siblings stood arguing in a small hut. The girl was only 14; her long dark hair was twisted into a bun and tailed down into a braid. It was her signature look one her mother wore as a girl. She wore a dark blue grab with a white sash.

The girl's brother stood across the fire pit. Slightly taller than his sister he flung his arms around as if that would magically change her mind. As for his looks, he fashioned it into the honorary wolf tail and wore a male version of his sisters clothing.

"Well I'm sorry but I'm going, I can't stay here Sokka, what is there here anyways! Most of the men of age have already left for one thing or another. Even Dad has left!" The girl stomped her foot towards her brother.

"you know why he left Katara! Then here you go, off to the reason why he left! What would mom say?" Sokka yelled back moving towards his sister so they stood toe to toe.

"…and I have to go too. I am a water bender Sokka, unless I go north, this is the only chance I'll have for any kind of training." Her voice softens a moment but Katara remained unmoved and unchanged.

"Enough with that magic bull! Katara you belong here with your family! And your people! Not with strangers and with those jerk-benders! God…why can't I have a normal sister! Why can't you be a normal girl who wants to get married to a nice Southern Sister boy, and cook and clea-OW!" The boy yelped as his abnormal sister promptly socked him across the face; it was defiantly going to leave a mark.

Sokka held his wounded jaw a moment, "don't do this Katara…you are going to regret it and I'm not going to come and save you this time."

"by tribe traditions I'm an adult, and I can make my own choices. We have been part of the colonies for 50 years now Sokka, you are going to have to grow up and realize they aren't going anywhere." The water bender's voice softens again to a gentle and caring tone.

"so…instead of fighting, you are going to join them?" The elder sibling bit sourly.

"Yes, I am."

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The next few days went by as a blur, Katara packed her few possessions that she'll need for the boat trip to the Fire Empire. Her whole 14 years at the south pole seemed to be packed into one small skin bag. The whole time her brother seemed to have vanished, licking his wounds of his cheek and ego. It didn't matter, she knew in a few years he'll welcome her back and forgive her.

It wasn't like she was betraying anyone, simply going where she needs to be.

Of course an over protective brother didn't make following that path easy.

It however wasn't his choice, Katara thought to herself, it was mine.

And soon enough the day came to leave, her bag looped around her shoulders, Katara walked out to the water port. A large steel beast sat at the make shift dock, sailors yelling and joking to each other as trainees and knights boarded the ship. With a deep breath Katara walked forward, her head held high and feet walking with fake confidence she left the ice lands of her home to the steel docks.

"KATARA!"

In that moment her bravo faded to nothing, head lowered, and shoulders sagged she turned around. Doubt filled her mind, fear steeped into her muscles, and small tears prickled at her eyes. A young man was standing at the other end of the docks, his lips turned into a grim line, but he continued to shout.

"If I get worried even just the smallest bit, if you write how horrible it is, I'm coming for you GOT IT? AND IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT DATING ANY OF THOSE JERK-BENDERS THERE, I WILL DRAG YOU HOME!" Her brother lowered his hands from his mouth and gave his only sister a nod.

Katara could only smile, the doubt, the fears, eased themselves away. "Alright! I'll write I promise!" Her tears however seem to trail down her cheeks as she boarded the ship.

Three weeks.

Three long horrible weeks it took to get to the Fire Empire. Now do not misunderstand this water bender, she enjoyed most of the boat ride until the heat started. Summer in the Southern Sister was nothing more than midnight sun, but here the more they sailed north the hotter it became.

Katara had paid for a cot and meal for the long trip, she however didn't consider clothing. Gone were her heavy coat, same with her simple furs, and now she was in her underclothes; it was horribly embarrassing. The tribal girl sat on her cot as the choppy waves rocked the boat, the skipper had said it would only be a few more days, but she highly doubted it.

The boat seemed to stop at ports along the way, mostly in the United Earth Kingdom. They would pick up and drop off passengers; it was a constant flow of new people and new faces. Her part of the ship was now mostly made up of Fire Empire citizens, with a few united Earth Kingdom here and there. It wasn't until they talked to her did Katara notice their existence.

"why do you look so down pretty Miss?"

Blue eyes darted upward to the lone figure that leaned against a beam. She wasn't sure if he was trying to look cool and dangerous, or he just was. The boy was slender with, she assumed, lean muscle under those yellow and green clothes from the Earth Kingdom. He had a devil may cry aura around him. Katara wasn't sure how he could talk though with that long wheat grain in his mouth.

"It's too hot." She muttered a moment, "and it's barely noon."

"You are from the tribes right?" he seemed to grin, and her stomach seemed to knot.

"yes, I'm going to enlist into the Fire Empire." The water bender gave him a wary look and wondered if he was like the other men on this ship. After the first night, they had learned their lesson and she hoped word had spread quickly.

"oooh so you are a tough little cookie huh?" His grin remained the same, "I guess we'll be brothers in arms together then." The boy seemed to pause again, as if thinking something over, "well siblings in arms, unless you really are into that?"

Lips turned down she paused a moment, "…Into what?"

"Women? Or dressing like a man or both. You are as flat as one" The Earth kingdom boy grin grew bigger as he watched her reaction. It was slow as it dawned on her, a bright tint of red, her eyes growing large, and her delicate mouth opening into a gasp.

" Why you!" Katara shouted as she jumped off her caught, " How dare you! I'm…I'm!"

"I should start with introductions brother, I'm Jet, and you are?"

She stood stunned there for a moment, "I'm Pissed off is what I am!"

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss Pissed Off, Can't wait until the academy."

It was in that moment, she knew they were going to become friends.

and it also meant she was not going into this alone.

The days seem to pass with ease knowing Jet had her back, and she had his. They took their meals together and seemed to spend most of the day talking and sharing their past. He was funny, liberal with his beliefs, and ever the charmer. He told her of his mother he left so he could make money for his family. His little brother who enjoyed books more then fighting and what a great scholar he'll become.

She told him of the frozen ice tribe she was born into. The brother she left in order to better her natural talents. The tribe that was starting to slowly rebuild itself after the war and the reluctant help it received from the Fire Empire. She told him of her friends and what they did for fun in the tribe.

Katara never spoke of her father or her mother.

"So, Let me get this straight….you take these weird abnormally large birds and ride them down ice slopes?" Jet took his hand into a downward swoop as the example.

"yup! It is really fun, maybe when we are knighted you can come back with me and try it" Katara grinned back at him.

"now, you are a pretty little miss, but you ain't that pretty, I'll stay where it is warm and dry."

She laughed, hugging her sides and gave him a friendly bump. "Coward, but alright. So we should be docking today, are you excited?"

"What fool wouldn't be?" Jet leaned back against the beam next to her cot. "So where do you want to be placed anyways? For some reason, I can't see you doing anything easy."

"I'm not sure…the Emperor is supposed to be a just and good man, maybe something close to him." Katara mumbled off.

Jet gave her a crazed look, "you want to be in the Royal Knights? Are you insane?"

"Hey! Just because I'm a water bender doesn't mean I'm less than those fire benders!" The tribe girl snapped back at him but only a groan was her reply.

"Not that sweetness, I mean the fact that you are….well…" Those lazy eyes seem to drop to her chest as if that explained it all.

A very unlady like growl rippled through her vocal cords, "listen here….I'm just as good as any man, don't you forget it."

"Of course, who was I to doubt your boy-ish charms."

At that moment Jet found out just how temperamental and strong tribal women could be.

A few hours later the duo left the ship one tan skinned, bright eyed, and excited, the other with a purplish hue decorating his right eye, shoulders slump, and unsure of his choices in companions.

Little did they know their lives truly began now, within the Fire Capital, and what awaited them during their years in the academy and after.

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Alright this was really a speed write, I just sat down and put down whatever came out. I like it so far but before anyone asks I will answer a few questions.

After Avatar is to date when the last known Avatar made his appearance and died. No one is sure what happened to the cycle but the world has found some sort of balance by itself.

Where are the Air Nomads? That'll be answer later, same goes for Aang.

Because I'm not above bribing, please leave a review it'll encourage me to write faster and let me know what you think interested/not interested ect.

This is the rough draft, if there are any wonderful beta readers out there, I'll love to hear from you.

Thank you.


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